The instant invention is directed to an electronic timepiece correction circuit for a digital display electronic timepiece, and in particular to electronic timepiece correction circuitry wherein the same display digits of a digital display are utilized to display two different types of time information produced by the electronic timepiece timekeeping circuitry.
As a result of the dramatic advances that have taken place in recent years in the development of semiconductor integrated circuitry, in particular, with respect to the miniaturization of the electronic circuitry performed thereby, more accurate and smaller sized digital display electronic wristwatches have been provided. Additionally, better minizaturization has resulted in an increase in the type of information that can be measured and displayed by the electronic wristwatch. In addition to displaying hours, minutes and seconds, electronic wristwatches have also been provided with calendar displays such as month, date and day of the week displays. Nevertheless, the small size of the electronic timepiece limits the space in which the digital display can be provided, thereby rendering it particularly difficult to simultaneously display each of the types of information that are counted by the timekeeping circuitry. Accordingly, the same display digits are utilized to display different types of information, by providing the wristwatch with a changeover switch, which changeover switch permits the digital display to display more than one type of information. For example, a changeover switch can be utilized to changeover the digital display from displaying clock information such as seconds, minutes and hours to display calendar information such as the date and month.
Timepieces that are capable of having the display changed over from a main-display channel, wherein the seconds, minutes and hours are displayed to a sub-display channel wherein other types of information such as calendar information are displayed are, however, difficult to correct. Specifically, because the main-display channel effects a display of one type of specific information and, thus, is isolated from the sub-display channel, when correction of the time information or, alternatively, the calendar information is required, the changeover switch will select either the main-display channel or, alternatively, the sub-display channel to thereby permit only correction of the timekeeping circuitry associated with the time displayed in the particular main-display channel or sub-display channel. However, if the electronic timepiece is in a correction mode, and it is determined that both types of information displayed by the display digits need correction, after correction of the type of information displayed in either the main-display channel or sub-display channel is effected, the timepiece must be returned from a correction mode to a normal timekeeping mode, in order to permit the other display channel to be selected, whereafter the timepiece can be once again disposed in a correction mode to effect correction of the second type of time information. Thus, when both types of time information need to be corrected, such as when the battery is replaced, such correction is difficult and unwieldy. Accordingly, the instant invention is directed to an electronic timepiece correction circuitry for permitting changeover from the digits of time displayed by the main-display channel to the digits of time displayed by the sub-display channel when the timepiece is in a correction mode.